Kit/Plans
Kit	Only available as a kit.
Plans	Only available as a set of plans.
Kit or plans	May be built from a kit or plans.
Plans or partial kit	Plans only, with an optional partial kit.
Partial kit	Only available as a partial kit.
Seats
Single seat
Two seat	Two seats, side by side.
Tandem seat	Two seats, one in front of the other.
Three seat
Four seat, etc.
Wing
Low wing
Mid wing
High wing
Parasol wing	Above the fuselage, connected via rods.
Biplane
Triplane
Canard	Horizontal stabilizer located in the front of the aircraft.
Rotor	Helicopters and gyrocraft.
Removable wing	Designed to be removed for more compact storage or transport.
Folding wing	Designed to fold back for more compact storage or transport.
Parachute	Parachute instead of a wing
Flying wing	Fuselage integrated with the wing and no tail section.
Inverted gull wing	Bent wing such as the Corsair.
Materials
Composite	Fabric combined with resin forming a light and strong structure.
Metal	Primarily sheet metal welded or bolted together.
Wood
Tube	Metal tubes used for the structure.
Fabric	Covering forming the aircraft skin.
Landing Gear
Trigear	Arranged like a tricycle.
Tailwheel	Also refered to as a taildragger.
Trigear or tailwheel	Optionally either configuration.
Retractable	Retracts in flight.
Retractable nosegear	Nose gear only retracts.
Amphibian	Lands on runways or water.
Floats	Floats in place of landing gear.
Flying Boat	Only able to land on water.
Skids	Tubular metal used for helicopter gear.
Foot launched	Like hang gliders.
Single wheel	A single wheel, sometimes augmented by skids.
Tandem wheel	Two wheels arranged one in front of the other.
Unusual
Twin engine
Pusher	Propeller in the rear of the aircraft.
Turboprop	Turbine engine driving a propeller.
Turbojet	A jet engine based design.
Sailplane	No engine, usually towed by another aircraft to launch. Also called a glider.
Motorglider	A sailplane that has a small motor.
Helicopter	A powered rotor provides both lift and propulsion.
Gyroplane	An unpowered rotor provids lift with a prop providing forward propulsion.
Ultralight	Meets FAA criteria to be classified as an Ultralight.
Open cockpit
Pressurized	Allowing a pressure differential.
Replica	Based on a past, usually classic design.
Aerobatic	Capable of flight maneuvers such as loops, inverted flight, etc.
Folding wing option	Can optionally be built so the wings can fold.
Jump seat option	Can optionally have a jump seat installed.

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